Concord resort moves ahead

Thursday

Jan 3, 2013 at 2:00 AM

KIAMESHA LAKE - The developers of a sweeping resort planned for the Concord cleared the first of several hurdles Wednesday that could lead to final approval this spring. The Thompson Town Board accepted the final generic environmental impact study for the entire site near Kiamesha Lake and the specific EIS for Phase I development of a racino, hotel and harness track. EPR Properties (formerly Entertainment Properties Trust) and Empire Resorts have been working toward town approval for a $600 million resort.

Victor Whitman

KIAMESHA LAKE — The developers of a sweeping resort planned for the Concord cleared the first of several hurdles Wednesday that could lead to final approval this spring.

The Thompson Town Board accepted the final generic environmental impact study for the entire site near Kiamesha Lake and the specific EIS for Phase I development of a racino, hotel and harness track.

EPR Properties (formerly Entertainment Properties Trust) and Empire Resorts have been working toward town approval for a $600 million resort.

Kansas City-based EPR Properties owns 1,583 acres of the former Concord hotel property. Empire Resorts plans to lease 186 acres from EPR and spend $300 million to build a racino with 2,150 video gaming machines, a 248-room hotel and a half-mile harness track, among other amenities.

Empire, which owns the Monticello Casino & Raceway on Route 17B, plans to move its facilities about 2.5 miles to the Concord site. EPR envisions several other projects, including a water park, more hotels, a redesigned Monster golf course and an entertainment village with a mix of housing and entertainment.

The developers, however, won't get everything they wanted. The town has forced EPR to remove a proposed 90,000-square-foot health care facility from the list of permitted uses in the planned resort development. The town did agree to allow a doctor's and a dentist's office, however.

EPR was also told to revise the documents to make clear that the developer will pay for improvements to several town roads as deemed appropriate by the Planning Board.

Later this month, the Town Board is expected to approve text revisions to the zoning that will essentially separate EPR's property from the original hotel site owned by Concord Associates. The board must also approve the project's comprehensive development plan. The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the zoning revisions and comprehensive plan on Jan. 15.

Before beginning construction, EPR and Empire will also need site plan approval through the Planning Board.

Empire's executive vice president, Charlie Degliomini, said the company hopes for final approvals by March but hasn't scheduled a groundbreaking date.

"We have to wait for the site plan approvals," Degliomini said.

The town will accept public comment on the environmental impact statements until Jan. 14.